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July 28, 2011

One of the country's newest professional transportation organizations is YPT. I recently became a member of this fast-growing organization so that I could take advantage of the great opportunities they offer in the Washington, DC area. Although the letters stand for Young Professionals in Transportation, the group encourages a loose interpretation of young and organizes frequent events with groups outside of the transportation industry. The goals of YPT are to foster professional development, encourage fellowship among colleagues, and arrange networking opportunities, all of which are provided through regular seminars, meetings, and happy hour events.

Their most recent event (and my first of the summer) was an evening discussion with Secretary Ray LaHood on July 20th. Over 200 people attended the hour-long conversation at the USDOT followed by a networking event at a nearby restaurant. It was a perfect crowd for Secretary LaHood, since he is one of the nation’s biggest advocates for getting more young people involved in the industry.

YPT is run by its 9-member Board of Directors in Washington, DC. Three of the board members were able to join us during the annual KAI Intern Jamboree on July 21st. Chris Smith, Andy Palanisamy, and Chris Pangilinan shared their thoughts and strategies for networking with the twenty-four interns present. As soon-to-be young professionals, it was helpful for all of us to hear from people who are only a few years ahead of where we are today.

YPT currently has active chapters in the Washington, DC metro area, Austin,TX, Boston, MA, & New York City, NY. They also have plans to open a San Francisco Chapter very soon. They have been receiving national and international attention from their blog and quarterly newsletter (Mobility Matters). For those interested in becoming part of YPT, they offer two levels of membership.

Please add to the conversation by including your YPT experience in the comment section of this article!

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Streetwise is a blog on transportation started by Kittelson & Associates, Inc., a transportation engineering and planning firm. Streetwise aims to be an independent resource for industry news, research, and trends.